UFO Near Keflavik Airport, Iceland — 27 Nov 53

On November 27, 1953, at 1830Z, Major Charles J. Conley (also referred to as Major Mack in the report) of the USAF observed an unidentified aerial phenomenon shortly after taking off from Keflavik Airport, Iceland, in a C-47 aircraft. The witness, an experienced pilot with 12 years of flight experience, reported seeing a bluish, oval-shaped light moving eastward at an estimated speed of 500-600 mph. The object was observed climbing from an altitude of 1,000 feet to 5,000 feet over a duration of approximately seven seconds before it appeared to brighten or diffuse and then disappear. The sighting was confirmed by the co-pilot, Captain J. J. Giurits, though he only observed the light for one second. Major Mack noted that the light did not resemble the flame of a jet aircraft and expressed his conviction that it was not a celestial body. Local weather reports indicated scattered clouds at 2,000 feet and broken clouds at 16,000 feet, with no weather balloons released in the area at the time. Operations records confirmed that only the C-47 and a B-29 were airborne in the vicinity during the incident. The 65th Air Division reported no jet aircraft in the area and provided negative radar plots, indicating no correlation with known flights. In his official assessment, the reporting officer noted that while Major Mack believed the object was a jet, the lack of supporting evidence led to the conclusion that the incident was likely an astronomical phenomenon, specifically a meteor.